Our Commitment to Social Change
At the National Federation of Families, we believe that we must rediscover our capacity for lifting up all members of our society, no matter their lived experiences, challenges, or personal traumas. By focusing on peoples’ potential – rather than their differences – we can begin to build stronger and more inclusive neighborhoods. We believe that true equity is the result of vibrant communities and responsive systems that promote self-reliance and interdependence and that celebrate diversity.
Adapted from Adler University (2023)
#SocialJusticeForFamilies
#AcceptAdvocateAct
What Do We Mean by Social Justice?
What is social justice? What does working toward social justice mean for individuals, communities, and systems? The foundation of social justice is living the “golden rule,” treating others the way would like to be treated – at every level. As individuals, social justice means accepting each person for who they are – celebrating and embracing the diversity of our fellow man. It means accepting every member of our communities – welcoming their participation and contributions in all groups. At the system level, it means accepting that each person has their own unique strengths and goals – shaping supports and resources to be responsive to each person’s dreams.
In essence social justice means:
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Equity at every level of society
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Ensuring that all members of our society are physically and psychologically safe and secure
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Giving every person the opportunity to live up to their full potential
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Supporting one another to live meaningful, purposeful lives
We believe the path to social justice lies in person-centered support every step of the way – in our interactions as individuals, the opportunities provided within communities, and in the approach and design of the systems put in place. We must see, hear, and accept each person for who and where they are and treat them with dignity and respect in order to lift them up as members of our society. Only through acceptance, advocacy, and action can we move toward social justice for families whose children – of any age – experience mental health and/or substance use challenges and impact social change.
We invite you to watch these two videos below, explore the tools also shared below, and encourage you to visit this page periodically for updates.
Video clip taken from the National Federation of Families 2023 National Conference Social Justice Plenary Panel.
NFF Video on Social Justice in Mental Health and Substance Use
Promoting Social Justice for Families
Social Media Presence
Most people and organizations have a presence on social media today. Use our social justice frame on your channels to promote social justice for families or simply to spark questions and dialogue with those who follow you about what it means and why you are promoting it. Access the frame to personalize and use it here.
Educate Your Community
Read and share this blog post, "Incorporating Mental Health into Social Justice Advocacy," from Active Minds’ National Student Advisory Committee member, Vani Mittal, who offers great insight into why mental health is a social justice issue and why it is critical that we address inequities in mental health care. She writes: When you think of social justice, mental health may not be the first, second, or even fifth thought to come to mind. But it should be. Social justice is an
all-encompassing field that touches every part of our lives and has a unique definition for each person you ask. To me, it means celebrating the diversity of identity, encouraging unity, empowering marginalized and underrepresented groups, and educating about identity-related issues. One of the first steps...read the full post here.
Use graphics like these, provided in English and Spanish by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, to introduce the concept of equality vs. equity in your own communities and the systems you collaborate with. Help others understand the importance of meeting the needs of all people and that one size does NOT fit all.
Lift Your Voice for Actionable Change
Please Join the Movement and Participate in This Important Survey!
We're excited to share this opportunity with our network. The Lifting Voices project aims to address stigma and equity in mental health and substance use treatment nationwide by lifting the voices of families. Learn more below and join our friends and colleagues, Heidi and Ellen, in this important effort to address social justice in health care.
Heidi Arthur, LMSW, and Ellen Breslin, MPP, are parents whose children's serious mental health challenges highlighted the very issues they work to address in their roles as advisors to state government and service providers to children and families. They want to make treatment access and recovery possible for every child. Learn more about Heidi and Ellen and read their own powerful family stories here.
The Lifting Voices survey aims to elevate the voices of children, youth, and families in order to learn more about what has worked and what is needed. In 2023, Heidi and Ellen took their passion and commitment for a test drive when they elevated the voices of a small sample of parents and youth, as captured in their most recent report.
Heidi and Ellen shared what they learned at several national conferences and have built a network of advisors and champions. Next, they plan to use a standardized survey, convene focus groups, and conduct key informant interviews to elicit input from other parents/caregivers and their youth/young adults who have experienced multiple suicide attempts, overdoses, and an array of interventions related to complex mental health conditions during childhood and adolescence.
They plan to compile and disseminate their findings to inform state-level systems transformation to keep kids alive and help them thrive. If you’d like to join this movement, take their survey, or participate in a focus group, please send a message to harthur@healthmanagement.com or ebreslin@healthmanagement.com with the subject line Lifting Voices and a message indicating your interest. They will get in touch with you. Together, we’ll lift our voices to create actionable change.
Share Your Lived Experience
Reflect on the following questions in your own life:
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What lived experience do you have that can help you promote social justice?
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What inequities have you seen and/or experienced that need to be brought to light and who needs to know about them?
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What solutions can you promote with decision-makers and advocates?
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What opportunities do you have to promote equity in your community?
Visit our YouTube playlist to hear inspirational speakers share their stories. We believe using tools like the graphics above in concert with sharing your lived experiences are a powerful way to promote the importance of acceptance and social justice for all families and their children. Challenge yourself to spread these messages to those you live and work with.
Become a Social Justice Ally
Becoming a strong ally of social justice requires self-reflection, learning, and the willingness to grow. This work begins at home. Use these social inclusion/justice activities from Collectively's CONNECT program workbook to explore your beliefs and to learn how you can promote inclusion and social justice for yourself and others in your communities. Pledge to become a social justice ally today!
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Strategies to Support Social Justice
Mental health and social justice are two important issues that are closely intertwined. Social justice refers to the fair and just treatment of all individuals, regardless of their background or identity. In this blog post, Natural Appraise on Mental Health explores the intersection between mental health and social justice and discusses ways we can all support mental health within social justice efforts.
Join the Fight for Parity
Behavioral health and substance use care has often been limited, denied, or paid at different rates than physical health care. The fight for parity in coverage and services is one that started with families. We have looked for 'social justice’ not just in treatment arenas but in the community by insisting that our children—of any age— be integrated and accepted in school and community activities. Watch the adjacent video and visit our national partners on Parity linked below to learn more and join the fight!
Share Key Medicaid Resources
The Modern Medicaid Alliance (MMA) developed Medicaid-focused resources designed to educate parents, caregivers, health professionals, and policymakers and allow these stakeholders to identify needs in their communities and support health coverage for children. Ensuring a healthy foundation for all children, including the millions enrolled in Medicaid, is an essential investment into the future of our nation and the next generation. MMA's resources help families access Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment benefits, through which children can receive immunizations, check-ups, vision and dental services, and mental health support. Moreover, their resource library covers a wide array of health care needs and services for individuals, of all ages, who are enrolled in Medicaid nationwide with an eye toward health equity—a critical focus of our social justice campaign.
Become a Social Justice Champion
Everything we do at the National Federation is rooted in our commitment to social change. We invite you to participate in our campaigns and events to expand your tools for acceptance, advocacy, and action:
If you have content, resources, events, or other opportunities to collaborate on work that promotes social justice for families that you'd like us to explore, we invite you to contact us.